That Time I met My In-Law in a Dream
by Jinx13GXA
Summary: Natsu and Gray meet their signifigant other's "parent" in a dream, where time is weird and details are fuzzy. Gray-centric. I may go into more detail another time. Also, I don't actually know what this is anymore.


Gray stood in what had to be the largest forest clearing he'd ever seen in his life. The trees only seemed to get farther and farther away as he walked towards them, always far beyond his reach.

"Gray?" He whirled around as his name was called, catching sight of bright pink hair that drastically stood out in the mess of green around them. Even if he hadn't seen him, Gray would always know that voice. Natsu came barreling towards him, at full speed, jumping onto him to hug him when they met.

Gray laughed softly as the fell to the ground, his bare back against the soft grass. When did I lose my shirt? Screw it, it doesn't matter. He pulled Natsu close to him. "Hey. Do you have any idea where we-" he paused as he saw Natsu's face.

He looked stuck between crying out of joy or sadness. "Come on," Natsu mumbled as he shifted. Once he was standing he pulled Gray to his feet and over to the cave Gray had been too preoccupied to notice. "Come on…"

Gray let him pull him along without any resistance, "Natsu, can you tell me what's going on?" Natsu just kept pulling as if he didn't hear him. He lead Gray around a few confusing corners of the cave, holding onto his hand tightly. Gray sighed softly and gently squeezed Natsu's hand as he interlocked their fingers. Even if he doesn't want to talk… I'm here.

As they rounded the final corner, the only thing he could see in front of him was the color crimson. The wall seemed to shift and move, forcing Gray to realize that it wasn't a wall at all, but rather the scales of a dragon larger than anything he'd ever seen in his life. Within seconds, he was staring into the large reddish orange eyes of the beast, but despite his logical mind telling him to run away, his instincts told him he was safe.

"Hello there," The dragons lips barely moved as he spoke, and the language was most definitely not Fiori, but for some reason, his brain automatically translated it. "You know of me, but we have never met. I am Igneel."

Gray's eyes widened, and he immediately dropped into a bow.

Igneel snorted. "Oh none of that! I may be a royal, but dragons have very different customs to humans."

Gray quickly got back to his feet, afraid he'd offended the great dragon, "I'm-"

"Don't apologize. Natsu brought you here for a reason. If he respects you, then I respect you," Igneel said honestly.,"However, you're also dating my son, and that requires a conversation and a half."

Natsu hugged Gray from behind, and glared at Igneel, but there was no real heat. "You're not allowed to be mean."

"I won't be, little pyro," He looked at Natsu softly despite the glare. He knew that Natsu didn't really mean it.

Natsu let his grip loosen, "Okay…"

Gray looked back and forth between them, "Why would he be mean?" he whispers to Natsu.

Natsu gently kissed Gray's cheek, "He said he won't be. I believe him… For now." He sticks his tongue out at Igneel as he lets go, then he gives Gray a gentle nudge forward.

Gray takes a nervous step when prompted, but he doesn't move again until Igneel speaks what felt like hours later. "Come on. I'm going to bring you with me for a moment."

"Uh…" Gray turned around to offer a hand to Natsu, but the pinkette had vanished at some point.

"He'll be back later. But for now, were' going to talk, just you and I. Climb on." Yet again, Gray hesitated, but Igneel wasn't having it. He wrapped the end of his tail around him and plopped him onto his back, "I suggest you hold on."

Gray gripped one of Igneel's back spines lightly, afraid he'd hurt the great dragon. That changed the moment that the scaly back flexed beneath him and his wings spread out. There was a hole at the top of the mountain that lead into where they were now, and with a sudden spike of panic, Gray realized what was going to happen. As the force of the air pushing against him rose with their ascent, Gray wrapped his arms and legs around the spine, holding on for dear life.

Igneel's laughter echoed throughout the hollowed mountain, and within seconds they were high in the air. "Not used to flying, are you?" he asked. Gray only responded with curse words and rapid breaths to keep from screaming.

"Put me down put me down put me down putmedownputmedown-" Gray kept repeating it as if it would put him back on the ground, but he knew it wouldn't. It took mere seconds before they were above the clouds and the wind was nowhere near as strong. "Oh my gods… I want down…"

Igneel chuckled. "We'll come back down soon… but for now... " Igneel's voice dropped in pitch as the old dragon became serious. "You're dating my son."

Gray shivered as he clung on tighter, "I… can we please talk about this on the ground?"

Igneel sighed. "Look up."

So Gray did, and he was greeted with an incredible view. The sun's rays touched the clouds, gently changing their color as they flew above them. The sun's warmth was ever so slowly fading as the sun began to set, and Gray's grip loosened.

"I didn't bring you up here to threaten you or even scare you. You and my son are happy together, and that's more than I could ever ask. I brought you us here to show you the same view I showed him every night, because one day, I may be calling you my son too." Igneel had been watching, smiling as Gray found the same love in the sky as Natsu had.

Gray turned his attention back to Igneel, shock written all over his face, "You…"

Igneel smiled, his fangs poking out in the same awkward way Natsu's did, "It was meant as a welcome into the family, not a deterrent."

* * *

They stayed in the clouds until the sun dipped completely beneath them as they traded stories of Natsu back and forth.

When Igneel finally dropped below the clouds, they were over the ocean and approaching an island. The last of the sun's light reflected off the water as they landed, and as Gray's feet touched the ground, the clouds above him all vanished as if they had never been there. The world around him turned icy cold as the stars appeared and snow seemed to fall from nowhere. "Wha-"

Arms as cold as the snow wrapped around him from behind, "Hey kid. Been awhile." Gray whirled around, coming face to face with his late mentor, and Ur smiled at him, "How have you been?"

Gray didn't even know he was crying until she wiped the tear away, "You-you're…"

"Yeah, I'm here. For now at least. I spoke to your boyfriend," She poked his sides, both to tease and to distract him from the sadness. "He told me about all the things that have happened. He really love you, doesn't he?"

Gray pulled her into his arms, desperately trying not to sob. "You're here- I…"

"Not to break the illusion, or anything," Igneel mumbled quietly, "But we are only here in spirit. Our bodies and physical forms are still gone."

Gray only held Ur tighter. "I've missed you so much…"

Ur ran her fingers through his hair, "I missed you too, Gray. Let's all go talk, okay?" She gently pulled him back over to Igneel. "Sit. Natsu will be back here in a minute."

Gray squeezes himself between Ur and Igneel, seeking both the comfort of having his mentor back and the warmth Igneel exuded. "You didn't say anything mean to him, did you, Ur?" He dipped his feet into the ocean water. In was warm in contrast to the cold air, but it had fit with all the other odd things that were happening, so Gray didn't bother to voice it.

"Only that if he hurt you I'd come back from the dead and-"

Gray was quick to interrupt, "He would never hurt me. Not like that."

Ur smiled, "You really love him too, don't you?" Gray nods, and her smile widens, "Good, because he's so sweet that if you hurt him I'd beat your ass instead of the other way around."

Natsu walked towards them, taking his place in front of Gray and partially in the water, "Hey… Did you like flying?"

"Once I wasn't terrified I was going to fall," Gray admitted honestly, but when Natsu bursts into laughter, his embarrassment turns into a smile. "It was nice."

Natsu crawled the rest of the way into his lap, "I'm glad. I don't know how you were able to grow up in this cold and enjoy it."

"Because the cold is my home, just as much as the warmth is yours," Gray said softly.

Natsu tilted his head confused, "Nah. you're my home."

Ur faked a gag, "I'm going to die of diabetes from all your sweetness… I approve. Be nice to each other."

Gray got quiet, "You're both already leaving aren't you?"

"We have to, " Igneel said softly. "We are here in spirit, and the moment you wake up the illusion will end. It's almost noon in the real world now."

"Unfortunately time in dreams doesn't flow the same way as is doesn't in the real world," Ur continued, "But I wanted to meet the person you've decided to give your heart to, and Igneel offered me the chance he was taking himself."

Natsu curled into Gray as he listened, "Thank you… You're every bit as great as Gray said you were."

Ur nearly choked, "I swear if I could get diabetes after death I'd have it."

Igneel laughed, "I don't think that's possible, but we'd both have it. Take care of my boy, Gray."

Gray nodded, and they all decided to sit in a content silence for the last few minutes they'd be there.

* * *

When Gray woke up, he expected to feel cold.

But he didn't. He woke to Natsu cuddled in his arms and in one of his shirts. "Did you have the same dream…?" His voice was louder than it should have been, but the question solidified everything.

"It was real then…" Gray mumbled, but rather than focusing on the sadder parts of things, he brought up something else. "How did you stand to be up that high all the time?"

Natsu snorted, "the same way you dealt with the cold all the time. I enjoy it."

"Come on… we can talk about this when it's not eight in the morning…"

"No, you come on, it's already eight!" Natsu tried to tug him out of the bed, but Gray yanked the blanket back over himself.

"Hmmm, no. I'm going to nap, because dealing with parents is exhausting, and that is most definitely not how I pictured meeting my future dad in law."

Natsu's shoulder shook with laughter, "Oh my god, I didn't even think about it that way… Fine, sleep. I'm gonna get food."


End file.
